Preface

The Second International Conference on Information Technology in Geo-Engineering (ICITG 2014) was held in Durham, UK in July 2014. It follows the first conference held in Shanghai in 2010.

Toll, D.G., Zhu, H. & Li, X. (eds.) (2010) Information Technology in Geo-Engineering. 1st International Conference on Information Technology in Geo-Engineering, Shanghai. Amsterdam: IOS Press (Millpress), ISBN: 9781607506164, 745 pp.

The conference was co-organised by Durham University and Tongji University under the auspices of Joint Technical Committee JTC2 of the Federation of International Geo-Engineering Societies (FedIGS), representing the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM), International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) and the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG). The conference was run with support from the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), the Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists (AGS) and the Northern Geotechnical Group of the British Geotechnical Association (BGA).

The conference covered a full range of information technology applications in geotechnical, geo-environmental engineering and engineering geology. The first day of the conference focused on “Geotechnical Data”, dealing with issues related to data standards and data exchange. There was a particular focus on the AGS format for data exchange which is widely used in the UK and increasingly internationally. Wider issues of managing “big data” and data sharing through global web portals were also addressed. Consideration was given to new developments in data acquisition and monitoring for slope stability and tunnelling applications in the field (using Gigapan photography, LiDAR terrestrial scanning and wireless sensors). Data acquisition and control systems for use in the laboratory were also discussed.

The second day focussed on Artificial Intelligence applications. The use of expert (knowledge-based) systems, artificial neural networks and data mining techniques all featured, particularly for identification of properties of geo-materials. The use of web-based materials for education was discussed, targeting both university students and public bodies. Data processing techniques, using Fast Fourier Transforms and Response Surface Analysis techniques were considered. Numerical modelling of tunnels, piles and anchors then completed the extensive discussions covered within the two days.

The editors hope you find the contents of this volume useful in your work and professional practice, as information technology continues to play a central role within all aspects of our work. This second conference has now established an international conference series that we hope will continue into the future, keeping the geo-engineering community abreast of the incredible power of information technology and how it can be applied.